Automobile clock-case.



C. FITCH.

AUTOMOBILE CLOCK CASE.

APPLICATION ULEB MAY 19,1913.

Patented Sept.29, 1914n ldlviflfrrrl r u l lull?? ACL 9% hmmm@ ege 'UNITED s'rATEsPATENT pionnier..

CONOVER FITCH, 0F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO W-ALTHAM `WATCH COM- v PANY, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMOBILE CLOCK-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 29, 1914.

Application lcd May 19, 1913. Serial No. 768,445.

To allaohom it may concern:

Be It known that I, Coxovsu FITCH, a citi.-

zen of the United States, andA resident of,

Newton, in the county of Middlesex land State of Massachusetts, have invented :cer-y tain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Clock-Cases, of which the following is aspecification.:

This invention relates to an improved case for watches and clockssuch as aroused with automobiles and other vehicles.

The rincipal object of my invention is to make t 1e case in such fashion that when put in place upon the vehicle it is almost entirely concealed and only its face is visible.

In automobile construction particularly, there is at. present a tendency to conceal the accessories of the automobile --as far as possible within or through the dash or. front wall on which they are usually mounted,.

leaving only so much exposed as must necessarily be seen.

My present invention, therefore, is a solution of the problem of how to conceal all of a clock except itsface, and at the same time enable the clock to be woundand set at need wit-hout requiring the face of the clock to be opened. y

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional group of my improved case mounted in a dash or front wall of an automobile. Fig. 2 is an elevation as seen from the right of Fig. 1 of the complete to case. Fig. 3 is a view'generally similar to Fig. 1, but wing the clccl; in a position for setting', rnd showing also som(` details not illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig.- 1. Fig. 5 is a partial elevation as seen from the left of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and 7 are details of the windin and setting key. j

teferring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a plate whiehnnay be considered as the dash board of an automobile, or in other words, the front wall ofthe body strucy mounting for a watch or clock, such mounting consisting of a relatively massive ring 5 and a sleeve 6 secured to such ring. The lring has a lip 5, threaded externally, on which there is screwed a bezel 7, carrying a glass plate 8 and a beveled ring 9. At its opposite side or end the ring 5 has an internally threaded lip 5* in which there is screwed a plate 10, havingacentral outwardly extending tube' 11 which is contained within a. tube 12, secured to the end wall 2a of the shell 2, and projecting inwardly. The tubes 11 and 12 constitute a telescopic vholder and guide for a spring 13 which presses against the watch mount-inv and reacts against the end of the shell with a tendency to project the watch mounting out of the she l. This tendency is resisted and overcome normally by studs 14 (Figs. 2 and 4) of which there may be two or more, which are mounted in the shell 2andQ pass into slots in the sleeve 6. These. slots, shown at 15, are parallel to the axis of the shell and of the sleeve, and at the end next to the Watch mounting are abruptly offset, as shown at 15a. The watch mounting may turn as well as move endwise within the shell 2 as far as permitted by these slots, and when so turned that the studs 14 enter the parts 15 of the slots` it is held so that it cannot be projected by the spring 13. Vhen turned so that the studs lie in the longitudinally extending parts of the slots, the Watchmounting is free to be projected by the spring, and is so projected as farvas permitted by the inner limit of the slot, being then brought into the position shown in Fig. 3. This is the position into which the watch is brought for winding and setting. y

Mounted in the ring 5 is a Winding and setting stem 16 on `which there is secured a vhead 17 having trunnions 18 whereon is pivoted a key 19. The key 19 may thus be swun out in line with the-stem, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, or it may be brought perpendicular to the stem, as shown in the other figures.A In the latter posltion 1t occupies a suitably formed recess 20 in the guide sleeve 6, shown best in Fig. 7, and is adapted to lie Within the shell 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The key is held in this position by the shell under normal conditions, even y though a spring 2 1 secured within the guide" .sleeve 6 pressas outwardly on the swinging part of the key. Then the watch mounting has been projected from the outer shell far enough for the end of the key to clear the lip 2b of the shell, the key is thrown outward by the spring 21 into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and may be thence brought into the full line position for operation. The stem may be moved into different positions for winding and setting and turned in either of these positions by manipulation of the ke ',in the same way that the stem of any pen ant setwatclr is operated by the crown of the stem. The only diEerence involved in the present invention is that the key may be turned down out of the way within the Shell A From` the description already given, it will be appreciated t t all 'that is necessary to be done in ging the ltimepiece into windingposition' i'swtohgrasp'the part of the case which vprojects'jaccessibly beyond the plate: 1 5, this beingthe bezel .7, and to turn suoli part, 'whereupon the inner portion of f case' or Watch mounting is thrown outwardly by thespring 13. '1`hen the key'yi's' eposed 'and maybe operated as need reqil 1`h eupon the watchisreturned to the `r 1'o r m'al ,position,` "ajfter first pushing back lthe key int' its recess 20 againstthe spring2l, by pushing- "tick, the watch mounting into the"s'hell 2 it will go, land finally 'ving'the `nti'r1g a short turn at the en ofitsi'nner niove ment. i

The construction of the key which adapts it to the particular` use for which it is required is clearly shown in Figs. G and 7. The key has separated ears 19a adapted to embrace the block 17 and perforated to receive the trunnions 18. Between the ears the key is divided so that vthe ears may be sprung' apart far enough to pass over these trunnions, and a clamp screw 22 is provided for drawing the divided partsl together, `far enough to retain the lugs on tlie'trunnions. The block 17 is itself detachablv mounted on the stem 16 by being screwe upon the threaded end of the latter, as indicated in Fi .6.

mode of attaching the mounting ring 5 in the sleeve 6 detachably so that it may be removed from the sleeve without requiring the lat-ter to be withdrawn from the shell 2 or the shell to be dismounted from the plate 1, is provided in the pins'or studs 23, which are riveted in the sleeve 6 and project into bayonet jointed grooves 24 of the ring 5. A screw 25 with a conical head is mounted in the ring 5 with its head fitting a conical hole in the sleeve 6, holding the ring and sleeve firmly together and preventing rattling. Vhen the screw is turned into the ring far enough for its end to pass from the sleeve 6, the ring may be turned far enough to. disengage its bayonet grooves watch mounted therein may then be withdrawn. This manner of attachment forms a very convenient and necessary .device for permitting removal of the watch from its mounting. When the mounting, including the sleeve 6, is projected in the manner a1- ready described, the screw v25 is accessible for manipulation, and it is then a vsimple matter to remove the rino' 5 and the watch. Otherwise the watch could not beta'ken'out for inspection and'attention Without much reater ditiiculty, necessitating an excursion into the hood where the motor is contained in order to reach either the screws 4 or the studs 14, which would otherwise require to be withdrawn. When the ring 5 is withdrawn in the manner described, the tube 11 comes 'witlifitgand the spring 13 is then released.

The case or mounting above described is adapted to contain any sort of timepiece. Such'tirnepie'ces, when adapted for use with vehicles, areusually termed clocks, although as they are governed by a balance wheel and hair spring, they are more analogous t watches 1n the foregoing description 1 have used both terms watch and clock intendingthereby to define any sort of timepiece whatever which might be usedl in my case.

Realizing that the case which I have above described might be used 'to contain other things than the movement of'a timepiece, and when thus used to have the same functions and capacities described, l-'ztherefore do not limit my invention to a case intended and adapted solely to use in connection with the movement o f a timepiece? What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a stem winding and stem set timepiece, and a mounting for the same, said mounting comprising 'telescopic members, the outer one of which is adapted to be secured to a wall, and to the inner one of which the timepiece is secured, the inner member being movable endwise out ot' the outer member to permit manipulation of said stem.

2. The combination of a wall, a timepiece` and a mounting for the timepiece, said mounting com rising an outer shell secured to the wall an having an open end substantially tlush 'with' the'w'all. and an inner member contained inv said shell vand movable endwise intoand out-,.of the open end of the latter', said timepiece being secured to said inner member adjacent to the open end of the` shell and having a winding and setting stem, said stem being at the side of the timepiece, and the latter with the said inner member being movable outwardly with rea shell adapted to be mounted upon a wall or plate of the automobile structure, and having an open end passing through said plate, a Watch mounting comprising in part a sleeve having a bearing within said shell, and being movable into and out of the same, and a winding and setting member connect;-v

ed with said mounting and brought into ac-.

cessible position when the mounting is Withdrawn from the shell.

4. The combination with a supporting wall, of a timepiece, having its face only visible at one side of said wall, abase for said timepiece comprising a shell projecting through the wall from that side at which the clock face is visible, and a mounting for the timepiece contained in said shell, said mounting being arranged for withdrawal to a certain extent from the shell to permit winding and setting of the timepiece.

5. A case for a timepiece comprising a shell open at one end, a sleeve fitting slidingly Within said shell, a mounting frame for a timepiece securedto said sleeve, a setting stem for the timepiece normally contained within'the shell and rendered accessible by withdrawal of the mounting frame fromt the shell, yielding means tending to eject the mounting frame from the shell, and a positive lock adapted yto be released at need for rest-raining the action of said yield ing means.

G. The combination of a holder, a guide contained in said holder, a watch mounting attached to said guide, a setting and Winding stem carried by said mounting and normally contained inaccessibly within the holder, a key connected with said steml and also normally inaccessible within the holder, and locking means for retaining the mounting Within the holder adapted to be released to permit the ejection of the mounting from the holder to an extent sufficient to rendei the stem key accessible.

7. A watch case comprising in combination a shell open at one end, a sleeve having a sliding fit Within said shell, a 'Watch mounting secured to said sleeve, the shell and sleeve having a coperative stud and slotsaid slot being in part longitudinally arranged with respect to the shell, and having a transverse offset so arranged as to lock the sleeve Within the shell by coperation with the stud, a spring tending to force the watch mounting from the shell, and a setting stem contained inaccessibly Within the shell when the sleeve is locked .therein and rendered accessible outside of the shell when the Watch mounting is projected therefrom, the Watch mounting having a portion which is accessible at all times for manipulation to release said lock.

8. The combination of the outer shell, a sleeve having a sliding fit within said shell and having a longitudinal Vslot of which a portion is laterally otlset, a stud in the shell entering said slot and adapted to be brought into said offset portion by rotation of the sleeve, whereby to lock the sleeve within the shell, a watch mounting contained within the sleeve and having a portion extending out from an open end of the shell, said mounting having a bayonet groove and the sleeve having a stud entering said-groove and detachably locking the mounting within the shell, said mounting being disengageable from the sleeve Without requiringY the removal of the sleeve from the shell.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

l CONOVER FITCH. llitnesses: Y BEATRICE E. Mosman,

E. A. MARSH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

